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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



DO ANIMALS THINK? 



By H. RECORDON 



SECOND EDITION 




NEW YORK 

Broadway Publishing Company 
1903 







Copyright, 1902, 

by 
H. RECORDON, 

in the 

United States 

and 

Great Britain. 

Entered at Stationers' Hall, 
London. 



All Rights Reserved. 



Vo Animals Think? 



PREFACE. 

This is not a work on natural history or other 
sciences. It does not treat of the origin or pedigree 
of animals, but of their observation and penetra- 
tion. It tends to show that animals do think, 
more or less, according to their capabilities, some 
having more and some less. It tries to prove that 
much of their prowess is due not to instinct, but 
to intelligence, which entitles them to the respect 
and sympathy of mankind. 



DO ANIMALS THINK? 



PAET I. 



Do they, or do they not? Here we have a 
question that is not very simple to answer. The 
small minority of men contend that they do, 
while the larger majority contradict it, and, this 
being the case, we will try and sift the matter 
thoroughly. This being the question of the open- 
ing of this work, it stands to reason that there 
should be a satisfactory answer, and decide per- 
manently the different contending points on the 
matter. 

The word think may be applied to both man 
and beast and be interpreted in one or all of the 
terms : To compare things or terms in the mind ; 
to deliberate; to consider; to judge; to conclude; 



2 Do Animals Think? 

to determine; to imagine; to fancy; to meditate; 
to intend; to design; to conceive; to believe; to 
esteem, and to have ideas in general on one or 
more subjects. 

There are but few of these definitions that can- 
not be applied to animals as well as to men. 

One characteristic more prominent than all the 
others, is fancy, or anger, which is found in the 
whole animal kingdom. There one can see the 
mind at work, more so on the laws of nature, self- 
defense or self-preservation, and the maintenance 
of one's dignity, at any price. 

The pleasure of quarreling does not exist in 
animals as it does in man. 

Anger is nothing more than an impulsive con- 
sideration for the time being, when any member 
of the numerous species of the animal kingdom 
is annoyed. We have, too, in other animals, those 
of the higher order of intelligence, which imagine 
a wrong inflicted toward them; then there are 
others which are justified in such imagination. 

Take for example the elephant, which has the 
largest brain of all, even eclipsing man's. He 
therefore has a wonderful and good memory, never 
forgetting a good or bad action; especially a bad 
one, for he thinks and ponders over a wrong and 
bides his time to inflict the punishment and be re- 
yenged. Let the time be short or long, he waits 



Do Animals Think? 3 

and he will not or in fact never does forget it, and 
when he meets the object of his wrath, he will re- 
member almost instantly. 

A case of this kind happened not long ago at 
one of our Zoos, where a crowd was there as usual. 
There was one person whom his majesty, the ele- 
phant, eyed more than the rest. I watched to see 
what would happen. The woman went toward his 
cage, when the elephant, with a roar, and the up- 
lifting of his trunk, seized the woman by the waist 
and was about to dash her to the ground, when 
the attendants intervened and saved her from fur- 
ther harm. Strangely enough she recalled that 
twelve years before she had struck an elephant 
over the trunk with her umbrella, for trying to 
ransack her satchel. She was not sure, however, 
it was the same one, but the guards told her it 
must have been, for an elephant never starts a 
fight without good cause. 

All animals are not of the same turn of mind. 
I can recall an incident that happened in one of 
our western cities not long ago. It was in this 
case a woman also and a king of beasts. She was 
at the circus, and in the crowd, but when she ap- 
proached the lion's cage, he was lying down, but 
at sight of her he bounded upward and pranced 
like a kitten. The woman remembered that she 
had sold a pet lion ten years before. She went 



4 Do Animals Think? 

closer to his cage, whereupon he extended his paw. 
which she fondly caressed, and when she departed 
he continued his pranks until she was out of the 
door. 

These two cases would show memory, intelli- 
gence and reasoning. 

All animals are not so intelligent, but all are 
ready for self-defense, if aggrieved or annoyed. 

Animals can be divided into two classes, the 
brute kind, and the civilized kind. The brute be- 
ing the one that roams the forests, and in fact is 
his own master, while the civilized animal which 
is held in captivity is somewhat domesticated, and 
not always a ruler, in spite of which he usually 
shows affection and esteem. 

This subject being one that has puzzled man 
from time immemorial, and no satisfactory an- 
swer has ever been given on this point, I will en- 
deavor by facts, incidents, and coincidences, to 
prove as far as I can, that animals do think, and 
if my readers are inclined to doubt any part of 
this work, they must draw their own conclusions 
on this matter, and make their own deductions on 
the subject. 

The few writers on such subjects have always 
contended that animals had no reasoning powers, 
for as they have stated, if they had, why was it 
they could not build a house? Such writers are 



Do Animals Think? 5 

wrong, for what would they do with it after it was 
built? 

They even go farther than that : they state that 
animals have nothing to do but wash their faces, 
go to sleep, eat between times, with an intermix- 
ture of playfulness, and an occasional quarrel or 
fight, just for the sake of making it up again. 

I have asked a question above, what would ani- 
mals build houses for? What use would they 
make of it? They are not so foolish as to im- 
prison themselves like civilized man is doing daily. 
Why is this assertion made, and this question 
asked! I'm sure I don't know, and no one else 
knows. 

Living in houses is contrary to natural laws. 
It is merely a habit man has given himself, where- 
as animals find their houses already built, through 
nature's work, such as holes in the ground, the bor- 
ing of tunnels below the surface, their ruts in 
caves, their homes in trees, and in innumerable 
ways of housing themselves, provided by nature. 
Just as our ancestors, primitive man did, they 
were perfectly happy to live in caves and cliffs, 
and afterwards to build mounds. What more does 
man or beast want? The savages of to-day all 
over the globe have huts merely to rest in, and 
for a roof in stormy weather. We will admit that 
man in the past knew no better than the animals, 



6 Do Animals Think? 

but man has enlightened himself since, where ani- 
mals have not, at least not the wild ones, but I 
can safely say that the domestic one has made 
progress in understanding and intelligence. We 
all must admit progress in both man and beast 
since primitive man's time. 

We must not lose sight of the fact that there is 
a variety of animal which constructs houses if we 
can call them such, and they answer the same pur- 
poses as those built by the South Sea Islanders, 
merely for a roofing over them in case of an 
emergency, or for the storing of provisions. They 
build for the time being, with but few exceptions, 
knowing that the material they employ is not 
lasting. They, too, have foresight. 

If such animals merely had instinct, could they 
plan, and scheme to construct a hovel, bore a tun- 
nel, or build a nest ? No. When man is bent on a 
certain piece of work, look at his industry ! Now 
look at the other side : when a beaver constructs a 
dam, see his intentness, for not only his feet and 
tail are at work, but his mind also. 

Of course, some of my readers will ask how can 
animals reason and construct a house under 
water like the otter. He does not draw plans on 
paper. Now we have the point, its mental plan- 
ning, like the savages, for they, too, with but 
very few exceptions, make plans for the construe- 



Do Animals Think? 7 

tion of their huts. It is planning in both cases, 
which they have acquired through heredity. With 
reasoning and thought for their wants, it be- 
comes natural to them to plan and build houses, 
such as the muskrat, and many other water ani- 
mals, which build under water. 

We have also the land animals, such as the 
badger, which is content with living in a hole, un- 
der the surface; the prairie dog that bores and 
tunnels tarough the ground, also other animals, 
such as rabbits in the fields and forests. Then 
there are others like the mole, the opossum, and 
woodchuck, which either bore in the ground, or 
live in the opening of rooks. In fact, they nearly 
all have the same way of living. It's all reason- 
ing on their part, and not instinct. It's the same 
with the peccary, porcupine, and wild boars, also 
the raccoon, but more often the latter would rather 
have a tree as an abode. 

Before proceeding, just one word on the rea- 
soning powers of both man and beast. They 
can both adapt themselves to better or worse 
conditions. Take the savage, for example. He 
can, and is willing to elevate himself to better his 
lot, as strange as it might appear to him at the 
start. It is the same with a tramp cat or dog. 
They will find their surroundings to their taste, 
when combined with a good home, and a good 



8 Do Animals Think? 

master. How contented it will lay under the 
stove, and presently will go to sleep, after its 
noonday meal. 

But put it out of doors after having made it 
comfortable, what will happen? At first the 
animal will not know what to make of it, and will 
hover about the house, then make off, and go back 
to trampdom. This is identical with the savage; 
if he too, were to be transported back to his native 
land, after once having tasted of civilization, he 
would go back to barbarity. 

I will make the assertion that man is an animal. 
There is but one sort of animal that has no reason- 
ing powers, and that is the insane, or paretic. 
Everything to them is a blank, be he man or 
animal. We have animals, too, that go insane; 
the most intelligent, like the elephant, horse, and 
dog. Why? Because they have reasoning 
powers, for if they had not they would not go in- 
sane. Civilization brings on insanity, where sav- 
agery does not. Another thing, if animals had no 
reasoning powers, would they have insomnia, the 
same as man? I emphatically say no. Only 
lately a case of insomnia developed in a tiger in 
Madison Square Garden at one of the shows. The 
tiger had been ailing for some time. No one 
seemed to understand the trouble until a veteri- 
nary surgeon was called. He immediately diag- 



Do Animals Think? 9 

nosed the case as insomnia, that proves again that 
animals have more than instinct, it proves in a 
marked degree that their conscience is troubled, 
just as man who suffers with the same ailment; 
but only few have ever given themselves the trouble 
to penetrate it. 

Of course man having been skeptical on such 
matters, instead of credulous, it will be difficult 
to convince him that animals do think. I admit, 
with my readers, it is a deep mystery to fathom, 
for we common mortals have only known them by 
instinct heretofore, and not by reasoning, which 
is a grave error. 

I will give another proof of my assertion by 
referring to the hen and rooster. If one watches 
them in a barnyard which is on an elevation, and 
where there are always hawks hovering about, and 
one of those hawks comes into sight, how quickly 
the hen, or rooster, will warn the rest of the brood. 
They scent danger ahead, and it is the same warn- 
ing that is sent forth if any other bird of prey 
makes its appearance. This is not instinct, but 
thought, on their part ; for the eye sees, which tele- 
graphs to the brain, and then the action through 
the voice takes place, and so on with all other 
animals. 

Man has given this subject but very little 
thought, for the main reason that he cannot un- 



10 Do Animals Think? 

derstand the language of animals, and of course, 
it is not a very bad reason. Then, too, we are not 
given to thinking much ourselves on such subjects. 
We are by far too busy hunting the dollar, but in 
spite of all that, we will admit that animals reason 
as well as we. Writers in the past have attempted 
to solve this problem, but given it up, for the 
deeper they would delve into it, the more mys- 
terious it would become to them. 

Yet animals could never acquire the building 
of machinery, or design habitations for man, for 
their intelligence is not developed to that extent. 
The main point is they are not endowed with 
gifts, as man is, for it is unnecessary in them, 
while with man it is very essential. They simply 
have enough intelligence for their wants, and 
what more can be expected of them? Still man 
has trained and instructed them for public per- 
formances, circuses, stage and the like, in other 
words, transplanted some of his own intelligence 
into them. That shows again the reasoning which 
animals have. They are willing to learn, but 
some are less adaptable than others, all not having 
an equal amount of gray matter in their brains or 
perception. 

Then, too, the more a man knows of civiliza- 
tion the more his wants increase. It is but nat- 
ural in him, as he is constructed so differently 



Do Animals Think? 11 

from animals. They need no clothing as we do, 
for nature has provided covering for them from 
the time of their birth to death, according to the 
change of the seasons. They need not bother 
about cooking either, their tastes being so different 
from man, who in time will go back to the stage 
of raw food, where he will eat as animal does 
to-day. 

The animal has probably the better part of 
the argument on the food question, but there are 
a great many men who believe in a raw diet, and 
I don't see why it would not be better for him to 
adopt it, provided he has not the national ailment 
— dyspepsia. If we consider the abstainers of all 
fresh meats, they do not know what dyspepsia is, 
no more than do animals, for their food consists 
principally of grains, leaves, fruit, vegetables and 
nuts. 

I do not intend to comment on this matter any 
further, for we all have our individual tastes, but 
if man were to eat food more in its raw state, as 
do the animals (outside of meats), man would 
feel better in mind and body, and not forgetting 
the cost of cooking either. 

When the animal is hungry, if he is in the wild 
state, he simply searches the woods, forest, glen 
or ravine, in search of a morsel. The bird hovers 
around the tree, while the insect glides along the 



12 Do Animals Think? 

ground, like the reptile; fish and mammal roam 
around the deep in search of food, but when they 
have found it they eat it. Not like man, who has 
to prepare it first, and then cook it. There are 
other animals that look ahead of them, just as man 
does, to lay away stores for a cold day. These 
animals, too, have reasoning powers, and not in- 
stinct. In such cases we, being all of the same 
family, all have the same traits, more or less. 
The monkey, according to Darwin, being our 
ancestor, makes us all of the same huge family. 
Man and animals act much alike — each hoards 
their surplus, let it be money, garden truck or pro- 
visions. So what difference is there between 
them? There is a striking resemblance in a good 
many points. 

I have often noticed in one of our large parks, 
toward the autumn months, the squirrels being 
fed, and have observed their intentness when one 
would hand them a nut. If they were not hungry 
they would run off with their prize and bury it in 
the ground, and deposit it in the hollow of a tree 
with the others they might have and come down 
to the same person for more, or to another, and 
so on, for they will take all that is given them. 
They always have an eye open to business, not 
knowing how long the winter will last, so they 
would rather take no chances. The next day they 



Do Animals Think? 13 

are ready for all that is given them. How well 
they reason that if they did not provide them- 
selves with provisions they would starve. Know- 
ing that during the winter months, especially £ 
hard winter, there is no food to be had. 



14 Do Animals Think? 



PAET II. 

The more intelligence and reasoning an animal 
has the more he bothers about the future in his 
house building, and laying away the stores. The 
same animal reasons but little on that score if in 
captivity, for he then knows food will always be 
forthcoming. 

He has another worry, however, and that is 
being held like a prisoner. We all know that 
captivity shortens their lives because of worry, be 
it in a small cage of a bird, or a large one of the 
lion. But if let loose again they recuperate very 
quickly, if they have not been too long confined. 

Why is it that we do not want to admit of 
that word reasoning or thought in animals? We 
observe their actions, their habits, their appealing, 
or angry looks, their amiability or kind looks, 
their affections, their feelings, their sadness, their 
hate, and their mortifications. 

Why then as these traits exist in them as in 
man, it is merely the mind that speaks ? I might 
go further, I might ask the question, What is the 



Do Animals Think? 15 

mind if it is not the soul ? I don't see why man 
has a hereafter and not animals, if s as simple as 
daylight. 

We can more readily make observations in the 
larger animals than in the smaller ones, for the 
larger ones we domesticate, while the smaller ones, 
such as the insects, we do not. 

I will demonstrate here an incident that came 
under my observation concerning the reasoning 
of insects. I was stopping some time ago at a 
house in Sullivan County, New York, and fell 
into conversation with an acquaintance about the 
reasoning of all living creatures. He scoffed at 
the idea on the spot. At the same moment a 
hornet entered the room in search of flies, which 
are his food. My friend jumped up and was 
ready to depart. He was afraid of being stung. 
I told him to sit down, that the bee was not after 
him, but if he chose he could try with the broom 
to chase or kill it, which he decided to do. 

I told him to be careful not to miss his aim or 
the hornet would retaliate. Of course he laughed, 
but he made a dash for it with uplifted broom 
and missed it. The hornet cowed in the upper 
corner of the ceiling, waiting for an opportunity 
to put in its deadly work. Suddenly it darted 
from its corner as straight as an arrow and lighted 
on the man's nose, which soon began to swell. I 



16 Do Animals Think? 

immediately ran out for some mud, and applied 
it to the swollen member. This is the best remedy 
for a bite of this insect to reduce the pain and 
suffering. 

Afterwards the man admitted that I was right, 
that insects did reason after all. 

It's the same with everything. One has to go 
through the mill to believe. They have to pay 
with their hide, then they are convinced, otherwise 
they are skeptical. 

The following story I heard some time ago 
through a hunter who had been searching in the 
wilds of Wyoming for wild cats, whose skins he 
wanted. He and another companion were fol- 
lowing a trail, when thej perceived in the dis- 
tance what looked to them as a strange animal, so 
one of them fired, the other being ready to fire in 
an emergency. This man missed his aim, not 
even wounding him, but like a flash a mountain 
lion was upon them. Just the noise of the shot 
was enough to challenge him to a rough and 
tumble fight. Of course the hunters were power- 
less, for a moment, their rifles being knocked out 
of their hands, but they quickly recovered their 
presence of mind, as all hunters of the west in a 
tight place will do, and they despatched his maj- 
esty with knives, the moral being that the lion did 
not want to be disturbed from his repose. If he 



Do Animals Think? 17 

only had instinct he would not have minded it. 
but with reasoning it was too much for his blood. 

There is also a little pet that I must not forget 
to mention, called "humanity's delight," I meae 
pest — it is a housewife's nightmare. 

It's that little creature, the bedbug, which one 
is always waging war against. Still if bedbug 
hunters were to understand their mission on this 
earth of ours, they would not be so irreverent 
toward them, for they will only bite those who 
have acid in their blood. They extract it to pre- 
vent the human being from getting rheumatism. 
A person sleeping in the same bed who has no acid 
in his system will not be bitten. They do not 
feed on human blood, but human acid, or uric 
acid, which is the proper term. 

All animals have their mission to perform, but 
we do not all know it. 

In scanning the daily papers some time ago I 
came across an article of a suicide, not of a human 
being, but of a monkey. This monkey had been 
mischievous. While his mistress was out shop- 
ping he put the house pretty well out of order, so 
when she returned she started in by chastising her 
pet, which was very much against his liking, for he 
sulked in a corner at the farther end of the room. 
When the mistress was through with him she as- 
cended the stairs, and when she repaired in the 



18 Do Animals Think? 

lower part of the house, where the monkey had 
been left, it was nowhere to be found, having 
vanished as if the floor had swallowed him up. 
She remembered that she had left the cellar door 
open in the morning, so down she went. There 
hanging by a rope was the monkey — a case of sui- 
cide through mortification and a broken heart. 
Now, one with instinct, as they would want us to 
believe, would not have committed suicide; it is 
only reasoning that brings on suicide, or thinking, 
which is one and the same thing. 

The word instinct, according to the dictionaries, 
means "urged from within; moved; animated; 
excited ; a natural desire or aversion arising in the 
mind without forethought or deliberation; dictate 
or prompting of natural feeling, especially the 
power which determines the will and action of 
animals; natural perception of, and appetency for 
that which will preserve the individual, or prop- 
agate the species." 

Instinct can properly be termed in an animal to 
a certain degree, if we have to use that word, such 
as a case of a bloodhound on the scent, but there 
is reasoning there, too, and that other or extra 
sense which animals have and man has not, which 
is called "locality," all that would help out the 
dog to find the fugitive. 

We call animals inferior to man. It is probably 



Do Animals Think? 19 

true they are as far as being mechanics, for 
animals make no improvements. He does not 
need to worry his brain as men do continually, in 
rectifying his mistakes. Animals are endowed 
with the gift of a certain construction for a roof, 
true there is no change, and true he makes no 
mistakes like man in anything they might under- 
take to do. 

Now, a simple question ! Would it not have 
been better if man had been born as the animal in 
the construction of habitations? Let us look 
where we may, man breaks his brain trying to 
eclipse his neighbor in the putting up of a build- 
ing. Then another one comes along, when the 
building is up for a while, and knocks it down, 
and it is the same story continually; whereas 
animal builds and it stays built; he might aban- 
don his hovel, but he does not destroy it. 

We do not want to mix things up. I spoke about 
animals having made progress in intelligence, and 
understanding, meaning, of course, domestic ani- 
mals. I don't mean by that, that they are better 
builders than in the time of Noah, but I do con- 
tend that at every succeeding generation they un- 
derstand more, and more, their masters and mis- 
tresses. 

When animals are ailing, or out of sorts, how 
well they know the herbs, and the different 



20 Do Animals Think? 

grasses, leaves, or things that will do them good, 
or in fact cure them altogether. If they are in 
the country, they have little trouble to find these 
medicinal herbs. Animals do not ponder over the 
kind of medicine to take to know its value, and 
study them for years as man does. This, then, 
cannot exactly be called instinct, or reasoning, 
either, it would be better termed intelligence, or 
endowed with that gift which man has not. 

Just a few words in reference to a word, 
adapted by the human race and especially to our 
young girls that they make use of quite exten- 
sively, in their teens, and that is "blushing." Ani- 
mals do not blush, for even if they did, we would 
not know of it, on account of their fur and hair 
coverings, second, blushing can only be found and 
seen in the human race, in the order of a higher 
intelligence, and is only an emiently human at- 
tribute, and according to Darwin, it would re- 
quire an overwhelming amount of evidence to 
make us believe that animals do blush. Darwin 
is right, there being no proof one way or the 
other. 

Idiots and insane people very rarely blush, for 
blushing is an effort on the nerves, through the 
circulation of the blood, and the very pulse at our 
wrists is not due only to the heart throbs, but to 
an organism called the vaso-motor system, being 



Do Animals Think? 2i 

thread-like nerves, distributed to the walls of the 
blood vessels, and making a regular pulsing mo- 
tion as they force the blood along. 

Then these blood vessels are related closely to 
the cerebrospinal and the sympathetic system. 
Hence the reason for sudden shock or the pallor 
of fear, the crimson of shame, and the flush of 
rage, which are all feelings of the mind that 
speaks. 

Blushing, then, is a sort of momentary paral- 
ysis of the vaso-motor, or nerve influence for the 
time being, and the opposite emotion of fear either 
stimulates the contractors of the small capillary 
vessels, or sometimes permits the action by sus- 
pending the cerebral influence. 

We will now take up the subject of worms and 
their work. They are quiet, expert architects, and 
of an engineering turn of mind. We can then 
realize that they, too, not only use intelligence, 
but a vast amount of reasoning. 

Who of us has not seen their borings in a sec- 
tion of wood at some museum or another. 

They are good borers and tunnelers, for their 
work goes through any kind of wood. 

The worst havoc they make is at piers, wharves, 
and bulkheads, along the water front. 

It is only recently that the K"ew York Dock De- 
partment has learned of their havoc in the bulk- 



22 Do Animals Think? 

heads at the Battery. Their discovery led them to 
spiles bored through and through by the ship 
worm, or the persistent teredo. 

There being, too, a large variety of beetles that 
are borers and tunnelers, either in logs, barks, or 
decayed trees. 

Then QVQ&f one of these borers, be it worm, 
beetle or a^y other kind of an insect, have their 
own special work laid out for them, one borer not 
interfering with the work of another borer. 

They, then, are all gifted at birth with some 
duty to perform, just as we are, but the difference 
is that they go ahead to do what is set before 
them to do, and succeed, while we, very often, 
make failure of what we undertake, and spend 
years trying to find out what we are actually born 
for, and usually never find out. 

With insects it is different. They seem to grasp 
the idea at the start, and stick to it. Proof ? How 
many spiles have been so weakened by their work 
that they have snapped in twain ? 

Consider the intelligence of these tunnel 
borers ? First they had bored by means of a stiff 
visor, and a corresponding lower nipper, and 
its tunnels with chalk to save friction, and sec- 
tions of these spiles have been sent to the Aquari- 
um, where they are to be kept in salt water. 

How many times we have read of the sagacity 



Do Animals Think? 23 

of the dog, his intelligence and reasoning in all 
his doings, movements and actions. Like all good- 
ly sized animals, we have noticed when they are 
asleep a sudden twitch of the eyelids, nose or 
mouth, and slight raise of the head, or probably 
a bark of fear, or anger. Now, why is this, and 
what is it that makes him do this ? 

I have noticed it, after their meals, be it heavy 
or light. This question I have studied in all its 
phases, and come to but one conclusion. He is 
either dreaming, or he has the nightmare, as the 
case might be. If dreaming, this is a proof that 
animals reason, for one that does not reason, like 
the insane (only visions that they have), do not 
dream, like sane beings. Then if reasoning they 
have, we can more readily understand their ac- 
tions, provided we are as intelligent as they. As 
when a master and his dog go out, either for a 
walk, or a hunt, and the dog comes back alone to 
tell a sad tale at home. By his jumping in at the 
doorway, his barking, whining and seeking to 
have others follow him, he repeats his antics un- 
til some one goes out with him, and he shows 
them his master lying prone on the ground, dead 
from accident. See what good care he takes of 
that body! He allows no stranger to approach. 
There are other dogs, too, that are possessed of 
the devil, like those on farms, or estates, border- 



24 Do Animals Think? 

ing on the main roads. They actually do not 
know what to do with their four legs, and they 
are therefore in all sorts of mischief, for one can 
not pass by, either on foot, horseback, buggy, auto- 
mobile, or bicycle, without having one or more 
dogs after him, and very often a pack of them. 
They are, in fact, not the very best behaved of the 
canine family. They are like some children who 
are so full of mischief that any sort of diversion 
is good enough for them. 

The well behaved dog must not be forgotten. 
One that sits contentedly on the window sill, or on 
the porch, that minds his own business and stays 
inside the grounds and does not encroach on the 
public domain, and lies content on the front door 
mat and reasons. For if one was to study them as 
they should they would find him very amiable, 
but must be restrained. 

He must not have his own way, like one will 
observe in a pack, when they are not at the hunt. 
A dog like any other animal, if not checked, wherj 
in captivity, will become more vicious than the 
tramp ones, because there is too much overfeeding 
and petting. 

Who of us has not noticed the intelligence of 
the fly, especially when they have about finished 
their time for the summer (they having ten gen- 
erations in one summer), and on the arrival of 



Do Animals Think? 25 

the first cold weather, in the evening when one 
is sitting quietly at the able, writing, reading, or 
sewing, they will see hovering around their paper 
some company, either one fly, or two, and when 
they are chased away, how they will return, for 
curiosity's sake. It is simply that they are in need 
of company, feeling lonely themselves. 

There was an article I read some time ago which 
proved again the reasoning in an animal. 

A fire broke out in the summer months in one 
of the large breweries in Philadelphia, where 
there were stabled one hundred horses. In order 
to save them, they had to turn them loose into the 
streets, the horse then centered about in wonder- 
ment. Then each animal found his team mate. 
and off they started to do business, for as calmly 
as if they were attached to a brewery wagon, the 
teams trotted off upon their various routes. 

And at a tavern two miles away from the stable 
one team came to a stop at a watering trough 
where they daily stopped, and after waiting the 
usual length of time, they started to resume their 
route. 

Another team was last seen trotting content- 
edly side by side out of the Bustleton Pike, bound 
for a farm where they were at pasture the week 
before. 

Most of the horses were not recovered until 



26 Do Animals Think? 

they returned to the brewery, after having gone 
entirely over their routes. 

A whaler once related an adventure he had with 
a swordfish off the New England coast. He was 
aboard a schooner when his eye caught sight of the 
monster fish. He immediately ran for his har- 
poon, and speared it from the bowsprit. He then 
was sent off in a dory to bring it in, but on ap- 
proaching, he found the fish, to his surprise 
wounded, but not dead. Imagine his surprise, 
when his highness showed fight by plunging his 
sword through the dory, which had to be immedi- 
ately hoisted to the deck of the schooner in order 
to release the fish, which in the meantime had 
died. The whaler by mere chance escaped un- 
hurt. This incident shows the intelligence of 
the swordfish in his death struggle, for he, see- 
ing it was all up with him, gave the final blow 
just as our western desperadoes do when they are 
cornered. 

An article appeared in the press recently of a 
battle royal between a man bathing in the surf 
and a shark off Atlantic City, New Jersey. This 
bather being in the water about a quarter of a 
mile from shore, saw what he supposed the body of 
a man floating near the surface. So he swam to- 
ward the object, which was slowly sinking, and 



Do Animals Think? 27 

dived down after it, clutching at the supposed 
body. 

But to his amazement he found that he had 
grasped a lively eight-foot shark by the tail. 

The fish resented the interference and turned 
to attack the supposed rescuer, who struck out 
lustily for the shore with the shark after him. 

Fortunately the jaws closed with the bather out- 
side by a narrow margin, and he then shouted for 
assistance and swam for his life. 

The fighting blood of the shark was up, and 
its appetite was keen. It made another rush for 
the bather, w^ho was helpless, having no weapon 
but his hands to fight with. 

Some of the affrighted spectators on the pier 
and the beach ran to the life guards and told them 
of the fierce combat being fought in the surf. 

They put out in the life boat to the bather's 
assistance, and they were none too soon. The 
bather had received, meanwhile, several stagger- 
ing blows from the shark's tail, and was so weak 
that he was keeping afloat with difficulty. 

The shark made a final rush at the bather, 
turned on its back, like a flash, and this time 
caught him, the big jaws closing on his left arm, 
and the water above them was saturated with 
blood. 

The bather was sinking, faint from pain and 



28 Do Animals Think? 

loss of blood, as one of the life savers leaned over 
the side of the boat, and caught him by the hair. 

He was dragged into the boat, and as the shark 
came on after him, one of the life savers stood 
with a heavy boat-hook poised and skillfully har- 
pooned the monster just as he half turned on his 
side to make a snap for the boat. 

The bather was then rowed to the shore and 
received medical attention. 

The life guards went out again with a towing 
rope and brought the body of the shark to the 
beach. 

Can we not see this shark's intelligence, sagac- 
ity and reasoning? For what one, be he man or 
beast, would stand such interference on the part 
of another? The shark did not take into consid- 
eration whether it was a man or any other animal. 
He had to take his punishment just the same. 



Do Animals Think? 29 



PART III. 

Almost every summer we are infested with a 
pest of caterpillars and other insects in our pub- 
lic parks, in the large cities, and still the most ex- 
pert insect destroyers have not found a satisfactory 
remedy to exterminate them. 

Birds of all kinds could exterminate them if we 
would only give them a chance, then and only then 
would we have effective work done. But people 
are generally given over to kindliness toward them, 
so the feeding process goes on without check or 
hindrance, and when this habit is stopped, and 
only then can we hope to have relief, for when 
birds will find nothing but insects they^ll eat in- 
sects. 

The feeding of birds is all very well in the 
spring, autumn and winter, but not in summer, 
as I have seen scores of people doing in the parks 
daily; then they complain, when walking through 
the parks, that these insects fall all over them. 

A bird when he has acquired the habit of feed- 
ing on bread, cake and sweets will not eat anything 



30 Do Animals Think? 

else, only when in a starving condition. Just as a 
human being who is accustomed to eat mush all 
the while, and if he acquires the eating of steaks 
afterward he would not take mush again. It's the 
same with birds, or any other animal, for once 
they have acquired a habit if s hard to break them 
of it. 

Here then is a mass of thinking on their part, 
and like ourselves, situated the same way. I have 
not mentioned reptiles yet, but I have in mind two 
incidents I have met with in the past concerning 
them, just merely to show, too, that they are 
neither exempt from intelligence nor reasoning. 

Some years ago while walking through the wilds 
of Pike County, Pennsylvania, in crossing a ravine 
with, the running brook slowly ebbing by, my at- 
tention was directed to a rustling in the brush, 
and on turning around I was confronted face to 
face with a moccasin. He was in the act of spring- 
ing toward me, being already coiled for the dash, 
but as the phrase goes, he had the tip on me, so 
what was I to do. I was paralyzed, not with fear, 
but what we call charmed. He had caught my eye 
first on turning round, and there I stood for a 
moment, as if in a nightmare. But in a night- 
mare one gives a final blow, and so it was the same 
in this case. I came to my senses, and stooped 
over as the snake sprang over my head. 



Do Animals Think? 31 

Then I was ready for the fray, for I immediately 
picked up a stick, turned, saw the reptile getting 
ready for me again. I was too quick for him this 
time. It was now my turn to have the tip on him, 
or catch his eye first. I slowly approached, and 
struck him a blow over the head, which stunned 
him, but not for long, as he was ready to face 
me again, when I finally dispatched him with an- 
other blow. 

At another time in passing through a forest in 
Monticello, Sullivan County, New York, a rattle- 
snake made his presence known. He introduced 
himself by rattling furiously, and I, having passed 
a good many months in the wilds, knew the mean- 
ing of it. So I stepped to the further end of the 
road, for if I had lingered near, at that moment, 
it would have been all up with me. 

I then recalled my previous encounter, and as I 
did not want to go through the same ordeal again, 
I thought the best thing I could do under the cir- 
cumstances, was to give him a wide berth. This 
warning on the part of the rattler only shows his 
perception and reasoning. His rattles are not for 
ornament, or for man to count them when he is 
slain to see how old he is. It is simply to warn one 
of approaching danger. One may take heed or not. 

It is like a man guarding a certain spot of 
danger, he shouts, or waves his hand, to keep off. 



32 Do Animals Think? 

How many times it is recorded in the press the 
knowledge of dogs in making known to the in- 
mates of buildings that the house is on fire ? How 
loften have I watched them catching sticks, bread, 
cakes or candy in their months at the sign of the 
giver? Others bringing back a ball when thrown 
to them, or getting a stick thrown into the water, 
or fetching the ball for the boys when they are 
playing that game ; dogs stopping runaway horses, 
and others barking and jumping at the head of 
horses, more in a friendly spirit than in anger; 
dogs attached to fire companies, running ahead of 
engine or truck, and making the people scatter in 
all directions, and warning wagons, or trucks to be 
careful and for them to clear the way; also cats 
and dogs at play (but these are only minor cases), 
for the greater part of the felines and canines are 
continually at war with one another. 

Dogs that dread a certain kind of punishment, 
and others that dislike a certain sort of uniform, 
and like others; cats that bring back a ball as a 
dog would, and others that make friends with 
squirrels, rabbits and chickens ; does all this not go 
to prove the reasoning in such animals? 

I have in mind a tale of a wise cat, that a 
neighbor once owned. 

To begin with, the cat was a splendid ratter. It 
would kill every rat in the building that made its 



Do Animals Think? 33 

r 

appearance, and bring it Tip two flights of stairs 
to where it lived with its mistress, and then lay 
the rat on the kitchen floor and begin mewing to 
attract the attention of its mistress, and to show 
her prize she kept on mewing until she was petted, 
which, of course, her mistress would do, and say : 

"Oh ! You are such a nice, Minnie." 

Then the cat, having received her acknowledg- 
ment, would pick up the rat and go down to the 
back yard and there it would stay. She would re- 
peat this every time she caught a rat. 

Why ! a human being could scarcely show more 
intelligence. 

Another interesting case was that of a cat whicH 
was the only feline living in the building. 

It would not allow another cat to enter that 
building either by the front or back way without 
there being a fight over the right of way. 

While in a store recently I noticed a large tiger 
cat, asleep on the counter. Shortly after a woman 
and a bulldog came in. The dog sniffed about the 
store, making his presence known by the nails on 
his feet.- This wakened the cat, which rose from 
his position and made ready for coming events, 
keeping perfectly quiet, but never losing sight of 
the dog, which wandered about the front part of 
the store. When he approached the back part, 
toward the private apartments, the cat stood ready 



34 Do Animals Think? 

to spring, but on seeing the dog retrace his steps 
the cat relaxed his menacing position. 

This only shows that if the dog had put his nose 
inside of that apartment the fur would have flown 
at a lively rate, but seeing the dog retrace its steps 
the knowing cat kept quiet, for the store was pub- 
lic, and not private, as was the apartment in its 
rear. 

There is one thing above all others I must say 
about cats, and that is they are the nearest animals 
to man, on one point. They are very scientific 
boxers for points. It is about as when Greek meets 
Greek. They quarrel very easily when they first 
meet, as they slowly approach one another and call 
one another names; then the dodging takes place. 
An upper left between the eyes, their backing and 
advancing positions ; time is finally called, and in- 
stead of being sponged down they keep up their hot 
words to one another. 

The next round then takes place, with a right 
swing on the adversary's nose, after which both 
sulk a bit, but never losing sight of one another. 

At the third round they generally have had 
enough, when it has been a square fight. Their 
mouths shiver with anger, and they fight fiercely 
till one masters the other, and each goes about his 
business to nurse his sores. 



Do Animals Think? 35 

One must not forget, if cats are treacherous 
they are also good prize fighters. 

They equal, if not excel, any known animal as 
boxers, and it is generally to patch up some old 
sores or to get even from a previous encounter. 

The Bronx Zoo offers many an attraction in the 
study of animal life. Not long ago, while near 
the monkey house, I, with the others about, was at- 
tracted by a commotion, and looking, could dis- 
cern in the distant part of the cage a mosquito on 
the wall. ^Yith monkeys when they see one of 
these insects it's time to call all hands around, 
and at one given signal make a dash to see who 
will catch it first. 

Of course if I was asked what they did with 
it after having caught it, that I could not answer, 
still I have an idea it's a treat for them, being a 
change from fleas. 

Some years ago there was a dinner given in 
honor of a pet monkey. This happened in one of 
the large cities of Europe. 

Quite a fashionable set of people attended it, 
ancl passed a few remarks on the pedigree of the 
animal, never having in mind the mischievous way 
that monkeys have, and not thinking of them as 
imitators. 

Everything was running smoothly when the 
simian started his pranks. They were a sorry 



36 Do Animals Think? 

looking lot when they left the building, for their 
hats were lost, or hidden, their wraps and coats 
likewise. While at the table, he imitated the 
guests and made faces at them and on how they 
were behaving themselves. At first they thought 
it laughable, but not for long, for the monkey 
landed on a lady's lap, climbed to her shoulders 
and started to take the hairpins out of her hair. 
The simian kept up his tricks all the evening, but 
the guests had nearly all departed early, vowing 
never to attend such another feast, for simians are 
like children, they are imitators. 

A great many have wondered if wolves have any 
intelligence. I will give you an instance which 
proves they are thinkers, for when travelers are 
going through the open country bordering the 
forests in Siberia, and everything looks clear, the 
wolves make their appearance. Not many at first, 
but one, or two, for there is always a leader to take 
in the situation and look over the ground. 

The leader then turns toward the forest and 
utters a howl, which is a signal, meaning : 

"Come on, boys." 

Then the whole pack appears and proceeds to 
attack the travelers. Here is thinking and reason- 
ing. While traveling through the southwest I 
came across tracks over the plains, about six feet 
wide. They were straight, and on either side were 



Do Animals Think? 37 

grass tracks, about eight feet wide. In nearly all 
cases it led to some pond or river. 

Being interested, I inquired from the ranchmen 
the meaning of it, for they did not look like the 
work of nature, but of some animal. 

They responded by telling me they were buffalo 
tracks of the past. When they started a new bit 
of grazing they would always eat an equal width 
on either side, which had been untouched for years. 
The grass was then fully grown, for it takes two 
seasons to have it up to the standard for buffaloes, 
as they eat it down to the roots. Buffaloes must 
have had an eye to the future, or was it an hered- 
itary trait? When drinking they would never 
stir up the water as cattle do, and when caught un- 
expectedly in a cyclone, or blizzard, how they 
would turn themselves, facing the storm, so to pro- 
tect the rest of their bodies. There is a vast 
amount of intelligence in these things. 

The alligators in the Bronx Zoo have given 
their keepers any amount of trouble, particularly 
the larger ones, when they wanted to clean their 
tanks, or change them to another tank. Last sum- 
mer I witnessed an operation on a large alligator. 
He was about to have his corns extracted, but be- 
fore beginning the operation they strapped him 
down with iron hooping, after having filled the 
tank with water. The first attempt to keep it in 



38 Do Animals Think? 

that position was a failure, for when the keepers 
thought everything wa,s all right (and the alliga- 
tor playing Opossum meanwhile), with a swing of 
its tail it fanned the keepers over. After that they 
had to secure him tighter; then the operation was 
a success. 

In their native haunts alligators have an afflic- 
tion on their tongues. A mass of insects gather 
on their tongues, and when a plover is near the 
poor creatures open their mouths wide for the bird 
to come inside their jaws, and pick them out. 

See then the communication of interests there 
and the understanding, the knowledge, and the 
reasoning between both of them. 

The rat, too, shows great intelligence in steal- 
ing. Their egg snatching is very clever. One will 
get on its back and roll an egg onto his stomach, 
and hold it there with its four paws, while another 
rat will hold his tail in his mouth and pull him 
to their hole or nest, then deposit it and run off 
to get another one. They will repeat this until 
they cannot store away any more. There, too, is 
reasoning and thinking in such actions as this. 

Why is it that the broncho buster of the plains 
is such a difficult animal to get along with, and so 
hard to mount and ride ? 

They have a vicious and ugly temper when one 



Do Animals Think? 39 

is about to approach them, for they always suspect 
coming danger. 

They have inherited that wildness from their 
ancesters, who had to fight the wild animals of 
their time, such as the lion, grizzly, coyote and 
wolves. 

Their never ceasing sulking and neighing and 
balking when they scent man or beast near by is 
an inborn trait. 

I have always noticed that where a herd of 
horses, especially on the plains, are happily graz- 
ing, and danger approaches, such as a storm, or a 
prairie fire, the leader, which is the stallion, gets 
out of the herd and neighs. This is a signal to the 
others to follow him, and they all make off in an- 
other direction. It is the habit of cattle and nearly 
all of the animal kingdom in the open. 

I have noticed the horses attached to a street 
car. Their lifelessness at the start and until the 
car was well in motion again, was very apparent. 
The pulling is not what they dread when on the 
trot, but they worry at having to stop before get- 
ting back to the stables. 

It is this worry that kills them before their time, 
rather than work. They continually have it on 
their mind, notwithstanding all the care which the 
street car company give their live stock. 



40 Do Animals Think? 



PAET IV. 

We all know that animals understand one an- 
other. It is a foregone conclusion, so there is no 
need of commenting on this point. 

A farmer of Ontario County, New York, some 
years ago, sold a young colt to another farmer, one 
hundred and fifty-six miles away, he keeping the 
older horse for himself. The day after the sale, 
on arising, he went to the stable to attend to his 
horses and cattle, and there he found his horse 
gone. He made inquiries about his horse through 
the neighboring farmers, but to no avail. The 
horse was gone, and never to return, thought the 
farmer, but after about a week he received word 
from the buyer of the younger horse, that his horse 
was there. He could scarcely make it seem pos- 
sible that the mother horse had gone off after the 
colt. 

This then, can only be explained that motherly 
love was the most prominent feature of her action. 
The sense of locality, which animals have, and 



Do Animals Think? 41 

somewhat of scent, in a ease of this kind, aided 
the horse to locate her colt. 

Animals are often very stubborn, for like man, 
why would they not be ? We are all members of the 
same family, so why in one part and not in the 
other one? 

A horse once came under my notice which was 
unusually stubborn. When he was out on his regu- 
lar route he persisted in coming home after the 
first order was delivered, till finally the owner had 
to go on the very last order, and deliver that first, 
and then follow on the way home, for if he de- 
livered his first order first he would take all day 
to do his route, for the horse was bound to come 
back every time, and it was only when the grocery 
man hit on the idea of going to the last order first 
that he could get him to do the work. 

Another horse which was employed on a milk 
route was gentle, good and faithful, but woe to 
the wagon, driver and milk cans if he heard an 
engine or fire truck. He would run until he 
reached the fire, as if the devil was after him, up- 
setting the driver and cans. Then he was satisfied, 
and when the owner would come after him he was 
perfectly cooled off, but the driver could not get 
him to move until the last engine or truck had 
gone. The bell seemed to have a great fascination 
for him. 



42 Do Animals Think? 

This shows again that an animal can acquire a 
habit, as well as we, and it is often hard to break 
it, just as in a person who has acquired a habit of 
some kind. For what is natural in one is natural 
in the other — it is animal nature. 

The spider, too, is another insect that has great 
knowledge and foresight, I have watched them 
in the woods spinning their webs and entangling 
flies. 

Flies, in the first place, are not as numerous in 
the woods as in houses, and when they catch a fly 
they prize it very highly. The care they take of 
them is wonderful. They bring them as far as the 
main body of the web, and weave around them 
once or twice, seeing that their feet are so tied that 
there is no possible escape on their part. Then off 
the spider goes to the further end of the web, never 
taking her eye off the fly for a moment, and if she 
sees, in spite of all her tying, that the fly moves 
still, she comes back and puts another web around 
its body, and keeps it up for two or three times, 
until she is perfectly satisfied that there is no es- 
cape for the fly. 

There is in the east end of London one who 
deals in spiders and knows the value of them. He 
disposes of them to the small wine merchants, at 
three shillings a hundred. These merchants stock 
their cellars with new, freshly labelled wine and 



Do Animals Think? 43 

admit the spiders. The dust ha,ving previously 
been laid on the bottles, the spiders begin their 
work, as if they knew what was required of them, 
by weaving their webs from cork to cork. 

These insects are collected from all parts, but 
the garden variety are prized more than others; 
for they weave a larger and stronger web than do 
the smaller ones. 

While out walking one evening, my attention 
was attracted by a large dog and a crow in front 
of a saloon. The two belonged to the proprietor. 
I then stood watching them, and it was laughable 
to see the dog, who would not allow the crow to 
go on the walk. He looked very serious, and 
watched it constantly. Finally, a smaller dog ap- 
peared, but the larger dog was keeping an outlook 
that no harm should befall the crow. The smaller 
dog was approaching slowly toward the bird, when, 
with a bound, the larger one was upon him, but 
without hurting him. It was merely a friendly 
warning, but it was enough for the smaller dog. 
He skipped pretty lively, but by that time the big 
dog was tired of watching the crow, and chased it 
into the saloon, where it went back into its cage 
for the night. The dog then came out at the side 
of the door and lay down to rest after its work. If 
this is not reasoning on the part of this dog, I 
don't know what is. 



44 Do Animals Think? 

I was a witness to quite an amusing incident on 
Staten Island toward evening, as I was passing one 
of the principal streets in Stapleton. I stopped to 
watch a calf at play with a robin in the field. How 
friendly they were together, cavorting around and 
dodging one another, just like two dogs at play. 
As one would approach the other would go off a 
few paces, only to come back and chase the other 
again, in a friendly way, and they kept up their 
pranks until dark, when the robin flew off to roost. 

On one of the farms in Westchester County, 
New York, after luncheon, I used to sit on the 
porch and watch the chickens following a horse 
grazing, and helping him to get rid of the flies and 
insects flying about his legs, by devouring them. 
That, too, showed the friendliness of animals 
toward each other. 

While on Broadway one day my attention was 
called to a crowd standing around a truck loaded 
with hay. After inquiring I found that one of the 
horses refused to help pull the truck, either by the 
aid of the whip or through coaxing. The driver 
unharnessed the horse, and took it back to the 
stable, and brought another, which was the mate 
of the one left standing in the street. The green 
horse refused to help another, but when the driver 
placed the fresh horse beside his mate he pricked 
up his ears in recognition and when harnessed the 



Do Animals Think? 45 

driver mounted his seat and drove off just as if 
there had been no trouble. 

It only goes to show again when a horse is accus- 
tomed to one mate it will not draw with another, 
or if so, it is only after having them together for 
a while. Still some horses would not have minded 
it so much. If s the same as with people, they 
have notions, and are cranky. 

A housewife once related a story about the in- 
telligence of rats. At the time she kept her provis- 
ions in the pantry, in glass and earthen jars, cov- 
ered over with tin. 

The house was infested at the time with rats, 
which made such a noise at night that one could 
scarcely rest, much less sleep. But one morning, 
about sunrise, the mistress was horrified to find all 
her tin covers on the floor of the pantry, all her 
sweetmeats eaten, or toppled over, but the other 
jars were left standing and intact. These rats 
then, could be called the knowing or wise rats. 

But how well they knew the difference between 
the good things and those that were not so pala- 
table. 

A hunter being on the outskirts of the jungles 
in India, was suddenly overtaken in a fierce 
thunder storm on a day that had been excessively 
hot. As it was toward evening he knew not how to 
retrace his steps toward his hotel, so he decided to 



46 Do Animals Think? 

seek shelter under some tree until the*storm should 
pass, thinking that it would be of short duration. 
But the storm showed no signs of abating. Hour 
after hour went by. An occasional roar of some 
wild beast could be heard, but he concluded to wait 
until it cleared. 

There was a sign of the storm letting up toward 
midnight, and he was making ready to depart, 
when a sharp zigzagged streak of lightning lighted 
the whole forest, and there, to his amazement, he 
could see all the wild beasts, from the elephant 
down to the boa constrictor, all terror-stricken. 
With an occasional howl here and there, and moan- 
ings of fear, they were immovable, so frightened 
w^ere they. The hunter left the jungle at sunrise 
with the storm still raging in all its fury, without 
having been harmed in the least by any of the fero- 
cious animals. 

What better proof does one want than this, that 
animals do think, and think a great deal — espe- 
cially in a case of this kind, for is not the mind at 
work in uneducated people, <or educated ones, as it 
is in wild beasts ? 

The more we understand such things the less 
fear we apprehend, but in the savages, who have 
no education, like the animals, the mind works 
just the same, but sees things in another light. 



Do Animals Think? 47 

This can be termed superstition, for want of a 
better term. 

The spider always makes friends with the pris- 
oners. We all understand that every one living 
in a prison, be he man or beast, is very lonely at 
best. But the spider, being an animal with more 
intelligence than a good many insects, understands 
as well as the prisoner his fate, and each of them 
thinks his lot is not a happy one. 

Animals and man are, therefore, identical on 
one point — it is on loneliness. 

To-day prisoners are not as lonely as in the past, 
for they are put to work, but it was different in the 
days gone by, especially in the European and Asi- 
atic prisons. Then the poor wretches were merely 
cooped in to mete out their terms, and conse- 
quently in time they would go mad. This was the 
reason they made friends with spiders, mice and 
rats, and a new friend, outside of their kind. 

A church was being torn down in Newark, New 
Jersey, to make room for a larger edifice. It was 
infested with thousands of bats, which made their 
homes in the neighboring houses, until they could 
find space in the roofs of buildings. One would 
have thought that, naturally, they would willingly 
have flown to the trees around the city, where it 
is quiet, and at a higher elevation than in the 
eaves of a small building. No, they would rather 



48 Do Animals Think? 

keep to their heredity ways, and live under the 
roofs to keep out of the wet, and with less chance 
of molestation than in trees. 

A large red ant is found in Texas and is very 
destructive to crops. 

There are two kinds, the country ant and the 
city ant, and are distinguished by the hillocks they 
build. The former ant builds a single hillock in a 
place, while the other builds in groups. The coun- 
try ants can be observed carrying into their nests 
green leaves and grass, for they make use of this 
verdure to raise their young in. Each one has a 
special work to perform, for some gather the leaves 
and carry them to the hill, and others place them. 
They have regular routes. Those going from the 
hill always give the road to those that are loaded. 
They can carry very heavy loads, two of them 
sometimes carrying a pecan. The sting of these 
ants is very painful. They generally come in great 
numbers about the middle of July, with all hav- 
ing wings. The city ants are very different from 
the country ants in their habits, for they never 
work by daylight, unless it is very cloudy; like 
bedbugs, they both come out at dusk and work un- 
til daylight. 

Their work then is so managed as to resemble 
a huge enterprise. Every one, from the manager 
down to the apprentice, has his own individual 



Do Animals Think? 49 

work to perform. System, then, is the keynote of 
success in animals as well as man. 

In the upper part of the State of New York 
this summer, the bees were starving for want of 
nectar and pollen from the flowers. The sum- 
mer having been excessively wet, with frost and 
cold winds, it had actually destroyed the food of 
the bees, and being aided by prolonged cold, made 
it disastrous for the honey bees, and millions of 
them starved to death. 

The apiarists said that the hives had been 
stripped of honey, and even then the bees had not 
enough to sustain life. The bees pondered over the 
situation, and came to the conclusion that it was 
useless to wait any longer for some good fortune 
to come to them. So they then decided to kill all 
the drones, and even destroyed the queen cells, 
thereby preventing an increase in numbers. 

The moral of the bees was probably good in such 
a desperate case as this. They reasoned, if they 
let the drones live it would mean a lingering death 
by starvation. Still, with all of their reasoning 
in such a desperate case, I do not agree with them 
on assassination. 

A story appeared in the Herald a year ago, per- 
taining to a horse that points birds, and, if true, 
it would show once more the intelligence of that 
animal and his reasoning. 



50 Do Animals Think? 

It referred to a hunter in Illinois who always 
hunted quail, prairie chickens and other birds 
without the use of a dog, and on horseback. His 
horse is a most intelligent animal and endowed 
with peculiar gifts, according to its owner (which 
looks plausible), for he acts both as horse and dog 
in locating game quickly, and with as much cer- 
tainty as the best trained dog. 

The horse carries him unerringly within easy 
shooting distance of game, then stands still with 
his left foot raised, as rigid as any hunting dog. 
Then a little urging starts him ahead, and when 
the birds start to rise he again stands, to allow 
his master to take aim and shoot. When the game 
falls he proves himself as good a retriever as any 
setter, and if necessary, will go into the woods, or 
water, after the quarry, and does all this without 
his master dismounting. 

This is then an example of a domesticated ani- 
mal. I have said before that domestic animals 
have made progress in intelligence, when in cap- 
tivity, and it has proven too, that the dog is not the 
only animal that has scent. 

Probably his master had a dog at one time, 
which accompanied him and the horse in hunting, 
and it is probable at those times that the horse had 
taken notes mentally, and when the dog could not 
be had on such an occasion, merely stepped into 



Do Animals Think? 51 

his boots; and if this horse only had instinct, he 
could not have copied the dog's ways. 

An article appeared in the daily papers this 
summer relating to a "Cat That Brings Food to 
Its Mistress/' and her husband vouches for the 
story. 

The mistress had been ailing and in poor health 
for a long time, and had very little appetite. The 
members of the family were at their wits' ends, for 
try as they might, in the preparation of food, noth- 
ing would tempt her, in spite of being palatable 
and well prepared. But pussy, being near her 
night and day, had a chance of understanding her 
condition. In his wakeful hours he probably took 
in the situation, and wondered w^hat he could do to 
put her on her feet once more, for as he evidently 
knew, something had to be done, and that quickly, 
for his intelligence and reasoning were keen, in this 
emergency, and he understood that his mistress 
was failing very rapidly. So the cat thought that 
perhaps his mistress would like some game to 
tempt her appetite, which was of primary import- 
ance to him. For what would he do if his mistress 
should die? Almost every day, afterward, he 
brought his mistress a partridge, young rabbit or 
bird of some kind, and laid it at her feet. The 
members of the family did not know what to make 
of it at first, but soon realized it was for the 



52 Do Animals Think? 

patient. The mistress was delighted at the cat's 
thoughtfulness, and every time the game was ready 
she would partake of it, much to the cat's satisfac- 
tion. The patient was not long in getting well, for 
it had been a great change in her diet, and just 
what she wanted. When the cat saw his mistress 
was almost well it stopped bringing the game. 

The family was much puzzled at pussy's actions, 
for the cat had never brought in any game before. 
It was still more puzzling when the cat stopped 
bringing in game. They then decided that the cat 
had reasoning, which was more than instinct, and 
they were correct in their surmise. This is about 
as good proof that animals think as has ever come 
under my notice. 

This incident happened in Virginia : This is 
a case of a parrot grieving for his dead master, 
and continually calling, "Hello, Captain." 

This parrot having been the constant companion 
of his master for years, knew one morning that all 
was not well, for his master, who was a police 
captain, did not appear at the station-house, as 
usual, at the appointed hour for duty. He imme- 
diately looked morose, and declined to touch his 
breakfast, which lay before him, and it has grieved 
him so ever since that he is letting himself slowly 
starve to death. 

He still keeps up his greetings every morning. 



Do Animals Think? 53 

of "Hello, Captain/' but as morning after morn- 
ing goes by without the captain making his appear- 
ance, it makes him so unhappy that he refuses to 
take food. He is now so weak that he can scarcely 
stand on his perch without tottering. For years 
past the captain had always greeted his pet every 
morning, and Polly always answered him with 
"Hello, Cap./' as he w 7 ent off to his desk. He keeps 
up that same greeting hourly, and the strain of not 
seeing his master has so weakened his constitution 
that he falls and goes to sleep. 

Way into the night he keeps up his call. It is 
only a question of time when all will be over, for 
he cannot stand this ordeal much longer. 

The sergeants have done everything to cheer the 
bird thus far, but find it of no avail, for he refuses 
to be comforted. The grieving of this kind only 
proves once more that his mind is at work, being 
like a premonition, that something has befallen his 
master. 

This case being no different from any other one 
who is bereft of relative or friend, dies of a broken 
heart. A broken heart can rarely come except 
from worry, and worry through thinking, and 
there you have the case of the parrot's grief in a 
nutshell. For if this parrot could not think, he 
would not worry, and if he did not worry, he 



54 Do Animals Think? 

would not die of a broken heart, as lie will do. For 
if ever animal reasoned this one did. 

A case I read of not long ago, in the New York 
World, shows again the devotion of an animal to 
his charges, when once he had acquired the habit 
of taking care of small children, and how it grieves 
him to leave such a place. This dog was crying 
for his babes in the asylum for infants, in Mount 
Vernon, New York City. 

This institution for the care of infants has ex- 
isted for nearly a quarter of century, but it had to 
change its location for several reasons. It was an- 
nounced that they must close the grounds, and the 
mothers came and took away their offsprings. 

When the last nurse and child were gone, the 
matron did not know what to do with the big 
watch dog that had so well protected the grounds 
for years. He well knew what was going on, for 
the night before the dog acted strangely, by moan- 
ing, whining and wandering about continually. 
This dog was very lonely for his charges. He had 
cared for the babies, and seen that they should not 
stray too far from the grounds, and watched that 
no harm should befall them. Now that every- 
thing was over, he bemoaned the day that he had to 
give up the task which he had had so long. He did 
not know what next was in store for him, for he, 



Do Animals Think? 55 

having almost grown up with the place, dreaded to 
leave it, just as a human being, after once having 
lived many j^ears in the same house or neighbor- 
hood, shuns a change. 



59 Do Animals Think? 



PAET V. 

This is another instance of a dog on Long Island 
dying of a broken heart. A lady hiring a place for 
the summer had not made any provision for her 
pet dog, and she had to leave him in the city in 
charge of a dog fancier, who gave him a comfort- 
able place to stay. 

The mistress inquired about him every day. At 
first everything went well, and he seemed to enjoy 
the company of other dogs. This did not last 
long, for one day he refused his food. The fancier 
did not pay much attention to this, for he thought 
it was only a whim on the dog's part. The fancier 
soon found out, however, that it was loneliness and 
grief. The dog grew worse every day, and still de- 
clined to eat. He had grown so feeble that he 
barely had the strength to whine after his mis- 
tress, and at the last moments he jut moaned a 
little and passed away. 

This would prove again, not only the affection of 
animals toward their masters, but their thoughts 



Do Animals Think? 57 

of them, when not near them. I am sorry to say 
the mistresses and masters do not quite understand 
this, for if they did they would take their pets with 
them on their vacations. 

An animal is little different from a person. It 
has the same attachment for those who take good 
care of them. Everything that walks, crawls, 
creeps, flies or swims, thinks probably not all of 
the time, as man is supposed to do, but part of the 
time, at least, and especially when they find them- 
selves abandoned, for human and animal nature 
are the same. 

How can we expect anything different ? A brain 
is a brain. It is life, it is thought, it is the mind, 
be it in man or beast. Brains are to guide our 
actions, be they good or evil. 

Noises trouble animals, as well as man, but we 
are not affected in the same way. What troubles 
one does not bother the other. Take music, for in- 
stance. Man and animals, almost without excep- 
tion, like to hear its strains. Some it charms, like 
the snake, others it puts to sleep, for it is quieting 
to the nerves. Others it makes sad, and some ani- 
mals whine and howl. Almost all dogs make them- 
selves heard at the sound of a flute, cornet or bugle. 
Cats rather enjoy music, especially the piano and 
mandolin. Whistling affects them like the flute 
does a snake. They act strangely and almost 



58 Do Animals Think? 

charmed, somewhat as a cat charms a fly, when it is 
out of his reach; merely, I presume, to make it 
come dow T n from its quiet place. Watch and see how 
their mouth quivers in the same way when under 
like circumstances, they try to charm a bird. Like- 
wise when they see a dog approach, do they not 
try to charm him and make themselvers look larger 
by expanding their fur? More for a bluff than 
anything else, perhaps, but similar actions in the 
feathered tribe are more to show their ferocity. 
How often do the daily papers tell of animals 
taking their lives, or committing suicide, like 
man ? I do not see why this should not be ? They 
think as we do; why would they not do as we do? 
I am cetrain if one is dissatisfied with this life, be 
he man or beast, he will take his life in his own 
hands. 

Here is a case : "Eat Electrocuted Itself," in one 
of the large electric company's works in Brooklyn. 

This rat had placed its tail on a wire, and his 
nose on another wire, fully charged; it therefore 
made a complete circuit, which sent sixty thou- 
sand volts of electricity through its body. This rat 
could not have-been in such a position accidentally, 
besides, the noise of the machinery would be too 
much for him, and the lights would be too glaring, 
if he was in a normal condition. So it can only be 
a case of self-destruction. Probably his wife scolded 



Do Animals Think? 59 

him, and brooding over it, and being more or less 
weak-minded, thought he would end it all. If ani- 
mals had no thought or reasoning, this following 
fight between two elephants would not have taken 
place. 

One was larger than the other, and the keepers 
allowed him an extra, amount of hay. Being in 
one enclosure they had a chance of settling their 
grievances quickly. One morning the smaller ele- 
phant, for some cause, probably the bracing air, 
made a grab for the larger elephant's share, and 
was about to put it into his mouth, when the larger 
one made for him. The keeper seeing what was 
going on, stepped right into the fray, and parted 
them, at the risk of his life, but escaped un- 
scratched. This incident happened in the Phila- 
delphia Zoological Gardens. 

Another case of curiosity on the part of a dog, 
in Louisville, Kentucky, at a balloon ascension. 
The aeronaut was about to ascend ; much to his sur- 
prise and displeasure, a fox terrier jumped into the 
car. The balloon's ropes were already loosened, 
and he dare not throw the dog out. The balloon 
went higher and higher, and finally made over the 
border, * into Indiana, and dropped just thirty- 
eight miles from where it had started. Before the 
balloon touched the ground the dog had jumped 
out as quickly as he had jumped in. In less than 



60 Do Animals Think? 

a week afterward, to the amazement of its owner 
the dog appeared at his home. 

The inhabitants are wondering to this day how 
he ever could have found his way back in a sec- 
tion of country where the dog had never been be- 
fore. They imagine it is the dog's secret, and he 
will never tell. Of course it is, and he will keep it 
to himself until they shall be able to converse with 
him, whenever that will be. 

I do not see why people cannot understand his 
coming back alone. Most of us know that animals 
have a sense which we have not. That is the sense 
of locality; therefore, an animal cannot get lost, 
if he has once his liberty, for they will return, 
and when they do not return, it is because they are 
held in captivity or have met death in one way or 
another. 

While in Sussex County, on a vacation recently, 
the mistress of the boarding house where I was 
stopping, had a fine maltese cat. It was quite 
friendly and affectionate, but was, too, a good 
hunter. When he was away from the house every- 
one knew that the cat was at his favorite sport, 
hunting, but never tarried much around the prem- 
ises, like very few small domestic animals do, when 
out in such open space as the country. 

This cat would bring in game, such as birds and 



Do Animals Think? 61 

rabbits, quite frequently. There were some months 
when no one would see him. 

One afternoon I decided to do a little hunting 
myself, for I did not think it proper to have the 
cat do all the hunting, in season, or out of season, 
game laws or no game laws. So off I trotted to an 
immense woodland about seven miles from the 
house. I thought it was about time to light a 
pipe, for it sometimes brings one luck, and it is 
company, if nothing else. At the same moment I 
heard the unearthly yell of a cat in the distance, 
and thinking it was a wild cat, I grasped my gun 
all the tighter, and waited events. 

I could constantly hear that cat's voice. It grew 
more distinct, as if getting nearer all the time. It 
was a misty day and no breeze was stirring. I 
could hear the shrubbury and underbrush in mo- 
tion, and as I listened the sound grew louder. I 
thought I had bargained for more than I had ex- 
pected, especially if it was a wild cat. I was ready 
with my gun at my shoulder, ready to fire, when 
what should make its appearance before my eyes 
but the long lost maltese cat? The cat recognized 
me instantly, and mewed piteously. I picked it 
up and caressed it, then put it on the ground 
again. It rubbed itself against my legs, and could 
scarcely walk. After a time I started back, with 
the cat following me just like a dog. See the 



62 Do Animals Think? 



knowledge of this cat. Such a distance from home 
it recognized one whom it had seen casually at a 
boarding house. It had probably seen me from 
a tree, or heard my footsteps, their hearing being 
very keen. This episode shows memory, intelli- 
gence, and thinking on the part of this cat, for] 
how else would he have remembered me? Hu- 
manity has always contended that cats are treach- 
erous, and I shall not dispute this. It is prob- 
ably so with a great many cases, and many of 
them are, as dogs, often vicious; but the cases 
are few and far between. 

I will cite a case of a vicious and treacherous 
dog, in Westchester County, which I had to deal 
with, to the dog's sorrow. 

One morning while passing down one of the 
main roads leading into White Plains, there lay 
crouched in the middle of the road, apparently 
asleep, a large bull dog belonging to the residence 
near by. 

I thought it was very strange for a dog to lay 
so, when a stranger was passing. I had my doubts 
about him, for I thought he was playing 'possum. 
Not wishing to take any chances, I firmly held my 
blackthorn stick, and as I neared him, he simply 
opened an eye, and kept motionless. 

But when I had passed, I thought I would look 
back, for things did not look at all reassuring to 



Do Animals Think? 63 

me, and none too soon, for he was already at my 
legs, and quick as a flash, my stick came down over 
his head, which stunned him for a while, but not 
for long. When he came to, he went at me again. 
I gave him another stunning blow which finished 
him and his viciousness forever. 

This would show that one cannot oe too careful 
in traveling on a public road, for there are dogs 
which are allowed their own way too much in our 
principal thoroughfares. 

A fierce fight happened in a freight train in New 
Jersey between a tiger and horses. A circus, 
having finished its work in one town, was being 
transported to the next. In one car was a tiger, 
partitioned off from the horses, which were being 
quartered at the further end of the car. 

In some way the tiger managed to slip 
through. He was looking for a fight, and was not 
disappointed. He made straight for the back of 
the nearest horse. The horses were tied in their 
stalls, but it made no difference, for this horse, 
by a move of the hind quarter, managed to throw, 
him off, and gave him a kick which sent him 
sprawling to the other end of the car. 

The tiger was not long recovering, for he made 
for the next nearest horse, which, however, was too 
quick for him, and a well landed blow of his hind 
hoof landed him against the partition, and almost 



64 Do Animals Think? 

knocked the tiger through the car. While laying 
there motionless, the next horse finished him, 
with a few more kicks, which despatched him for 
all time. 

This fight would tend to show the superior abil- 
ity, mind and judgment of the horse over the 
tiger, in inflicting such mortal blows. It shows 
too, that carnivorous animals are no match for 
herbivorous animals in a square fight. 

An animal which looks very innocent when 
cooped up behind the bars is the bear, be he white, 
grizzly, black, cinnamon, or any other species. 

Those in Central Park, especially the grizzly 
and polar, seem particularly harmless, with their 
heads swinging to and fro. See how contented 
and lazy they appear, when some one throws them 
peanuts or sweetmeats. With their enormous paws 
they roll it to their mouths with as little trouble 
on their part as possible, or open their jaws to 
catch some sweet morsel. 

A few summers ago their cage was being 
painted. The painters had finished the outside 
without much trouble. 

But they found the inside of the cage was an- 
other story. 

They had no trouble until they were well in 
the cage, which was fastened on the inside, smok- 
ing their pipes contentedly. 



Do Animals Think? 65 

This was on a St. Patrick's day, and the color 
they were using was green, to fit the day. 

The painters were near the top of the cage, 
when turning round they saw one of the bears 
after them. They made for the door, which was 
locked. The paint pot fell down over painters 
and bears alike. Finally the painters escaped, 
none the worse except for a coat of green, which 
the bears shared too, in honor of the day. They 
had put their noses into the paint pot, which gave 
them a very bizarre appearance. A short while 
after this there was a rumpus in the eagle's cage, 
which proved a fight to a finish. 

The day before a new comer, a bald eagle, had 
been put in the cage. He evidently wanted to 
rearrange things somewhat according to his tastes. 
But there was already a boss installed there, and 
when the other bird made himself too obnoxious, 
the old boss thought things had gone far enough. 
He therefore took a hand in the settlement. They 
battled by biting and clawing, until the new one 
was almost killed, when the keepers intervened. 

This proves that it is not only in a political or- 
ganization that bosses appear. It is always the 
same domineering way which wishes to rule and be 
the master. 

A large black cat appeared on the window sill 
of a basement of a fashionable house last spring. 



66 Do Animals Think? 

It mewed piteously and the cook opened the win- 
dow and let the cat into the kitchen. The poor 
creature looked starved, his ribs could be counted 
through its fur, but they brought a dish of milk, 
and the cat started to lick it up, when suddenly, 
without warning, the cat flew at the cook, biting 
and clawing her fearfully. This brought down 
the lady of the house, and her husband, wha> 
knocked the cat senseless. 

This cat was simply out of its mind for want 
of food, and had gone mad. Just as a person 
placed in the same way. Starvation affects the 
mind very often, but more frequently animals 
than human beings. 

A lioness in the Central Park Zoo, which had 
been an inhabitant of the menagerie for seven- 
teen years, died recently. She would probably 
have lived much longer had she not been blind 
for a number of years. 

To be able to hear and not see as she had once 
done seemed hard to her, for she worried and 
fretted constantly. 

We must not forget that animals have anxieties 
as well as we, and especially in a case like this. 
It is like a blasted life, a living nightmare. 

We only realize this when it conies to our- 
selves. 

The floods in Iowa this summer made many cu- 



Do Animals Think? 67 

rious sights, but they were not such as one would 
like to witness daily. I will only mention one 
here. 

When the waters encroached upon the prairies 
it drove the jack rabbits and cotton tails to cover. 
Every log or timber from fallen houses was lit- 
erally covered with them. Thousands had fol- 
lowed the natural law of self-preservation, which 
is primary in the animal kingdom. 

An old farmer, while returning home in his 
buggy through a road little traversed, was stung 
frightfully by bees, and died a short while after- 
wards. His horse had stepped into their nest. 

The onslaught, therefore, was very sudden, for 
the bees, not knowing what had happened, after re- 
gaining their senses, began their deadly revenge 
against the farmer and horse. 

The farmer having rolled out of the carriage, 
the horse made for home, so did not meet the fate 
of his master. 

Who of us having been placed as the bees were, 
would not have retaliated ? 

On my way uptown each morning, I used to 
watch a dog waiting for the garbage wagon to 
pass. He was looking for a bone from the driver, 
and when he got it, was as happy as he could be. 
He would go off and munch it all by himself. 
This was repeated each day. Sometimes there 



68 Do Animals Think? 

was none to give him, so he quietly went away, af- 
ter being patted on the head, thinking he might 
have better luck at another time. 

Those actions on the part of the dog only show 
that the dog had something on his mind, for every 
morning he expected a bone of some kind. 

Then a habit can be quickly acquired in ani- 
mals just as in man. 

This dog had a comfortable home, but he 
wanted something extra. 

A horse being led by the bridle suddenly took 
fright at a flying piece of paper, and ran off like 
a flash. He finally stopped at a market, where, 
before his gaze, lay all the vegetables of the season, 
so he began to devour a barrel of cabbages. 

Perhaps if this display had not met his eyes he 
might be running yet. 

Another horse took fright two months after in 
about the same place, but did not venture very far, 
for being always crowded around a market, it 
has not much chance. Eight before him lay a 
child which had fallen in attempting to cross the 
street. The horse realized the child^s peril, and 
pranced on his hind feet to avoid hurting the 
little one. This gave it a chance to be rescued, 
and the child escaped uninjured. 

Here was forethought on the part of the horse. 

An orang-outang having been brought from a 



Do Animals Think? 69 

far distant land, Borneo, into the Bronx Zoo, with 
her young one, became homesick after a few weeks. 

The keepers tried in vain to make her eat, but to 
no avail. She only fondled her baby, and became 
morose; not even wanting to make friends with 
her keepers. 

She, therefore, knew the difference of her sur- 
roundings, they being so unlike her native land. 
Loneliness comes through worry, as we are all 
aware. Worry exists in this case, just as with 
our soldiers in the Philippines. Very often it 
brings on suicide in both man and beast, under 
similar conditions. 

Here is a singular case of suicide on the part of 
a horse in Paterson, New Jersey. A big bay 
horse was attached to an engine company for a 
number of years. He took his life by hanging 
himself by his halter. His foot was caught in it, 
and the firemen said that it was perfectly plain 
that the horse fastened his shoe in the slack of 
the halter, then deliberately pulled on the strap 
until life was extinct. This horse had a quick 
temper, and used to make a great disturbance in 
his stall, especially at night, which made life a 
burden in the engine house. 

He kicked all the time, so the chief transferred 
him to headquarters, thinking that he would 
Change his habit, but to no avail. 



70 Do Animals Think? 

The chief decided to pay no attention to him, 
for, he contended, a kicking horse was similar to a 
crying child. If no attention was paid to him, it 
would soon stop. 

But instead the horse made all the more noise, 
which became almost unbearable, but the firemen 
obeyed orders, noise or no noise. 

The day after, when the firemen went to feed 
him, they found him dead. 

This would show the reasoning in this horse, 
for as quick a temper as it might have had, it 
wanted attention from the firemen, and if he did 
not get it, and if he thought he was abandoned, it 
would surely kill him. 

The result was that melancholy set in and his 
brooding made him decide on self-destruction. 
His mind was already giving way under those 
conditions, for he wanted to be "the whole thing." 

It is just the same story in man or woman with 
an uncontrollable temper. They wish to be "the 
only pebble on the beach." 

Such people, and animals, very often have 
plenty of time to nurse their folly when it is too 
late. If they had learned to give and take, or 
leave well enough alone, all would have gone more 
smoothly, but no, it is always the same domineer- 
ing spirit which brings them to grief. Self-de- 
struction occurs more frequently in domesticated 



Do Animals Think? 71 

animals or those in captivity, than ones which have 
their liberty, such as beasts of the forests, prairie, 
mountain, stream, river, or sea. 

An article appeared in a local paper some time 
ago in reference to pigeons making a record by 
flying one thousand miles in a week. 

One can imagine the strain, and the anxiety of 
the birds trying to get back home as quickly as 
possible. The effort must be very great, and one 
need not wonder that on arriving home, they fall 
limp from exhaustion. I hardly believe .'they 
could have taken much sleep in covering that dis- 
tance in such a short space of time, and they prob- 
ably had taken little food. 

However, carrier pigeons are credited with fifty 
to one hundred miles an hour in their flight. 

The swallow and marten too, are, considered 
very rapid flyers, going at the rate of seventy-five 
miles an hour. 

The teal duck has a velocity of fifty miles an 
hour, while the mallard is five miles slower. The 
canvas back is credited with from forty to fifty 
miles an hour, and the wild goose and eider duck 
travel at the rate of forty miles. 

The pheasant, quail and prairie chicken make 
from thirty to forty miles an hour, while the crow 
flies but twenty miles in that time. The smaller 
birds are not such fast flyers as they would appear, 



72 Do Animals Think? 

All this shows the thinking in birds, for they 
usually know where they want to go, and plan 
to cover the distance in the allotted time. 

A man was once asked if he knew the best rem- 
edy of stopping mice from eating and destroying 
underwear which had been put in a chiffonier. 
The man asked if traps had been set to catch 
them, and found there had been, but with little 
success. Mice are too wise to be caught in that 
way. He then suggested closing all the openings 
with tin, and if they persisted in coming to try 
putting some crumbs in a plate before retiring. 
They could eat them. He explained that when 
mice make their appearance at meal time and 
find no food about, as this was in an apartment, 
out of spite they destroy clothes. If they could 
find something to eat, they would retire and go 
to sleep, as the majority of animals do when their 
hunger is appeased. 

This was done for about a week, with very 
good results. 

Another case of hunger driving dogs mad to 
the extent of killing their benefactress: These 
dogs were bought for the sole purpose of protect- 
ing a newly acquired country place from burglars 
and marauders. 

The new owner had been told to be careful of 
them, and not to feed them too much, especially 



Do Animals Think? 73 

on raw meat, as they were already ferocious. 
Others told them not to feed them at all for a 
few days, so to starve them into submission. They 
already looked very sullen, and no one would ap- 
proach them. The owner thought by starving 
them they would remember their benefactress. 

They did, too, by putting one out of the world. 
The mistress in passing them in the yard one 
morning took pity on them and said it was a 
shame to let dumb animals starve like that. They 
looked quite harmless, and she determined to feed 
them. 

She ordered the cook to prepare a bowl of meat 
and carry it to the kennel, the mistress accompany- 
ing her, of course. 

The instant the woman entered the enclosure the 
dogs leaped and bounded so that their chains 
broke, and they made for their mistress. They 
threw her to the ground like wild beasts. It 
seemed as if they had reserved their pent-up rage 
for this occasion. The more the woman tried to 
defend herself, the more the dogs bit her on the 
limbs and body. The neighbors finally drove the 
dogs away with clubs. 

As she was being brought to the house she pre- 
sented a sad spectacle, for her face and hands, 
which had been exposed to the full force of the on- 
slaught, were a mass of shreds. Her clothes were 



74 Do Animals Think? 

literally torn from her, and her body was a mass 
of bites. She lived a few hours, then died from 
doing a supposed kindness to starving dogs. 

The dogs knew very well the difference between 
their mistress and her cook, even if they only had 
been there a few days, and evidently thought her 
the cause of their starved condition. 

Moral ! It is not what man wants to do, it 
is what he ought to do toward dumb animals, 
ferociousness or not. 

There are almost daily reports of sharks, large 
turtles, and other queer looking fish caught by the 
fishermen in their nets. Others tell of seeing those 
creatures off the beaches, or from the deck of pass- 
ing vessels. This would lead one to suspect that 
everything was not as it should be down below 
the sea's surface with the animals of the deep. 

There being a cause for all strange phenomena 
of this kind, we all know that these monsters, as 
strange as they are in these waters, do not be- 
long here, but in the tropics, around the equator, 
like the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. 

Many theories have been advanced on the phe- 
nomenon, but, thus far, none have been very 
satisfactory. We will try to answer this strange 
coincidence, if possible, or advance somewhat of 
an explanation. 

Yes, it can be called such, for when before 



Do Animals Think? 75 

have such strange monsters appeared off our coasts, 
and to such an extent as this season ? 

Undoubtedly we have had seasons when there 
were sharks and turtles seen and captured, but 
never so large as those seen during the last six 
months. 

What is the reason of all this turmoil in the 
deep? Hunger, I presume; sharks living princi- 
pally on corpses, and these not being very plenti- 
ful at present in their home waters, they strike 
north. 

Perhaps things got too hot down south on ac- 
count of the volcanic eruptions, such as Mont 
Pelee and La Soufliere, w T hich have been in ac- 
tivity for a long time. It being winter on the 
other side of the equator, there was but one 
place for them to go, and that was to pay us a 
visit, to our sorrow. It is only a friendly visit on 
their part to look over the ground before making 
up their minds what they will do. It is only tem- 
porary, for they will not linger here during the 
winter months. They will take a roundabout 
course to the equator, for there it will be summer. 

Then one might ask why did they not stay 
around the south Atlantic coast ? We see by their 
actions that their head is level. They may be 
more prophetic than our most scientific men. The 
eruptions in the Caribbean Sea may not be over 



76 Do Animals Think? 

in a hurry, and their reasoning tells them it is bet- 
ter to be sure than be sorry — that is the law of 
self-preservation. They had one of two things to 
choose from, stay in their home waters and be 
boiled, or come up and see us, and they, being of 
a friendly turn of mind, chose the latter for the 
rest of the season. Do you blame them? 

They may return next season as numerous as 
before. We may see them for a good many more 
summers, but when winter strikes this zone it will 
be summer on the other side of the equator. They 
will keep coming here till things have quieted down 
in the Antilles. 

Sharks are like other animals, they like com- 
pany, and they know that our beaches hold many 
a tender morsel. 

Eats on board ship are considered a valuable 
asset in case of danger, for they scent a coming 
disaster. Sailors know when they see rats scat- 
ter that there is danger of some kind aboard ship. 

It is in the mines, under like conditions. 
In that way they can warn the miners to flee. 

An article appeared in the Magazine section of 
the Sunday Herald, of January 6th, 1901, en- 
titled "Svengali of the Zoo," written by Mr. Eene 
Bache. 

This article treated on hypnotism of animals, by 



Do Animals Think? 77 

Professor Max Verworn. It is undoubtedly one 
of the newest wonders. 

He has hypnotized mammals, birds and reptiles 
and states that there is not an animal which is 
not susceptible to "mesmeric" influence, provided 
it is properly done. My opinion on this last 
phrase is that he is right. 

He goes further and states that not only guinea 
pigs, and rabbits, but frogs and venomous ser- 
pents have been successfully treated in that way. 

He says that since early times, and certainly for 
hundreds of years, it has been known that some 
animals, if held in abnormal positions, would be- 
have queerly. 

The most familiar instance is that of the hen. 
By holding her beak to the ground and drawing 
from the end of it a straight line of chalk for a 
few feet, the hen imagines she is being held by a 
string, and so makes no attempt to move. This 
notion, according to the professor, is a mistake. 
He is able to hypnotize the fowl without using any 
chalk line. He accomplished the purpose by sim- 
ply laying the hen in a certain position upon the 
table. 

Professor Verworn has found that his experi- 
ment with the hen may be successfully repro- 
duced with many animals. 

Occasionally a guinea pig will be so susceptible 

Ufa* 



78 Do Animals Think? 

to this peculiar sort of hypnotic influence, as ta 
lose consciousness instantly when turned over on 
its back. 

The recovery is always very sudden, the crea- 
ture jumping upon its feet, and becoming once 
again its own guinea pig, so to speak, except for a 
stiffness in the hind legs, which is apt to remain 
for a little while,— a vestige, evidently, of the ab- 
normal condition. 

In speaking of crocodiles and alligators, lie 
says they prove excellent subjects, responding read- 
ily to the hypnotic influence, when placed on their, 
backs, and becoming for a while like dead 
saurians. 

An ordinary green European lizard used by the 
professor was turned over and prevented from 
squirming by holding its jaws between two fingers, 
and its tail with the other hand. The recovery in 
this case was as sudden as in the guinea pig. 

A frog was not affected so easily, though it 
succumbed after a time, when held upon its back, 
its movements being hindered. 

The common edible frog would become per- 
fectly quiet after five or ten minutes, its efforts 
to rise growing more feeble, until finally it would 
become motionless, remaining so for twenty or 
thirty minutes thereafter. 

Lobsters, it seems, are subject to influence in the 



Do Animals Think? 79 

same way, remaining perfectly rigid in grotesque 
positions for a long time, after being held for five 
or ten minutes. 

Snakes are by no means exempt. 

The professor made a series of most interesting 
experiments with the venomous serpent known as 
the naji-haje, two specimens of which were ob- 
tained for him from Egypt by the hereditary Prin- 
cess of Saxony. 

For so dangerous were these reptiles that their 
poison fangs were removed as a preliminary to 
the trial. 

Their dispositions were very ferocious. They 
would coil themselves on the floor and keep their 
heads always turned toward the professor, as he 
walked around them, ready to strike him if they 
found a chance. 

They would try to bite him again and again, 
but with a quick action he would step forward and 
catch one of the reptiles behind the neck. Its ex- 
citement instantly disappeared, and it became per- 
fectly harmless and limp, and could be put in any 
position desired. 

It is with this kind of snake that the serpent 
charmers of Egypt have always worked, even as 
far back as the day of Moses. 

From his experiments Professor Yerworn draws 
the conclusion that really all kinds of animals, no 



80 Do Animals Think? 

matter how wild, if skillfully treated after the 
method here indicated, may be rendered uncon- 
scious and unable to move. 

He truly says that such phenomena in the past 
have been misunderstood. In the case of the hen, 
her imagination was supposed to be at work. The 
bird mistaking the chalk mark for a string, and in 
other instances the trembling of the animal's 
limbs, was attributed to fright, which when severe 
enough, will paralyze the muscles temporarily. 

There is apparently a suspension of will power 
in the hen and guinea pig, the condition being one 
of unconsciousness, but not of sleep, and when the 
influence ceases to operate, recovery is immediate 
and sudden. 

Certain kinds of animals resist the influence 
much more than others. It seems to be almost im- 
possible to hypnotize the dog or cat. 

I ask, why? For the simple reason that their 
minds are more active in thought, the same being 
the case in a human being. 

Some can undergo hypnotic influence quicker 
than others. It all depends on the activity of the 
brain at the moment. 

Professor Verworn also states that young ani- 
mals are less easily affected than old ones. That 
comes from too much activity. The younger ani- 
mals, just as with people, for as one advances in 



Do Animals Think? 81 

years, one's activity, with but few exceptions, de- 
clines. 

Fishes, too, says Professor Verworn, succumb 
to the influence. He also has made successful tests 
with an octopus. 

These experiments of Professor Verworn prove 
very conclusively more than anything I could 
possibly demonstrate, that animals do think, for 
without thought or reason, like the paretic and 
madman, there is no hypnotizing them. One 
might as well try to hypnotize plants as animals 
which have lost their reason. It is about the 
same. 

I hope now that my readers will no longer be 
skeptical on the reasoning of animals, for I have 
stated facts and incidents to prove that animals 
to a great extent do think. 



THE END. 



NOV o 1903 



